Domaine Ostertag

To call André Ostertag a revolutionary winemaker
is to tell just half the story. He is a pioneer, certainly, but also an ardent
environmentalist (as demonstrated in both his wine and his sculpture, another
passion). After training in Burgundy, André returned to the family domaine in
Alsace with renewed zeal: he lowered yields considerably and introduced
viticultural and vinification techniques from other regions to his own home
ground. The 1996 vintage marked his first collaboration with KLWM, and the
following year he brought biodynamic viticulture to his fourteen hectares of
vineyards, including his flagship parcel in the Muenchberg Grand Cru.

There is poetry to Ostertag’s practices. He looks
for the nuance of terroir rather than
the typicity of a grape varietal. In an act of rejection against the official
classifications dictated by the A.O.C., he made up his own categories: Vins de Fruit that express fruit
character rather than that of a specific vineyard site, Vins de Pierre reflecting the terroir
from which they originate, and Vin de
Temps that rely on time and weather to encourage the development of
botrytis. He ferments the majority of his wines completely dry, so their
versatility at the table surpasses that of many other wines from the region. In
Ostertag’s experience, a careful use of oak subtly enhances the traditional
Alsatian varietals from the Pinot family, giving them greater depth on the
palate. He uses oak sourced exclusively from the Vosges Mountains and, for his
Pinots, prefers barriques to the
traditional foudres. He rejects
formulaic, scientifically engineered wines, and since going biodynamic in 1997,
has been an active member of the natural farming community. As he so
beautifully explains in Kermit Lynch’s Inspiring
Thirst,

…true
quality is that which succeeds in surprising and moving us. It is not locked
inside a formula. Its essence is subtle (subjective) and never rational. It
resides in the unique, the singular, but it is ultimately connected to
something more universal. A great wine is one in which quality is contained.
Such a wine will necessarily be uncommon and decidedly unique because it cannot
be like any other, and because of this fact it will be atypical, or only
typical of itself. (p 279)

VITICULTURE / VINIFICATION

Practicing biodynamic viticulture since 1998, Domaine
Ostertag does all vineyard work and harvesting by hand and uses no chemical
fertilizers, herbicides, pesticides, or fungicides. The domaine owns 14.4
hectares of vineyards in over 80 separate plots spread over the villages of
Epfig, Nothalten, Itterswiller, Ribeauvillé, and Albé.

The fruit is pressed gently, and indigenous yeasts induce a long fermentation that continues until the wines are fully dry (with the exception of the Gewurztraminer). André defies his region’s conventions by fermenting and aging his Pinot Blanc and Pinot Gris in oak barrels, in the style of Burgundy, where these varietals originated. He uses 228L oak barrels produced from an area of the Vosges mountains that is adjacent to his domaine. The Pinot Gris is aged for one year on the lees, and the Pinot Blanc for 9 months. All other grapes are fermented and aged in stainless steel cuve. Very little new oak is used and it has a very light toast. All used barrels come from the domaine and may be 1 year or up to 20 years old. The percentages of new oak used each vintage is relatively stable: Pinot Blanc “Barriques” = 3%, Pinot Gris “Barriques” = 8%, Pinot Gris Fronholz = 10%, Pinot Gris Zellberg = 14%, Pinot Gris A360P Muenchberg = 20%. The Sylvaner, Muscat, Gewurztraminer, and all the Rieslings are aged in 100% stainless steel.

Vins de Fruit:
Ostertag’s vins de
fruit or “fruit wines” are made to express varietal character and feature the
flavor of the grapes themselves. The first to be harvested, these wines are
aged 6-9 months before release and are meant to be drunk young (within five
years of release). The vins de fruit
can be identified by their green bottles and the “Dancing Vines” label.

Vins de Pierre:
The next category is for wines that are designed to
express their terroir and are aptly
name vins de pierre or “stone wines.”
Harvested later than the vins de fruit,
they are aged 11-18 months and can be drunk young or aged for up to 20 years.
Their labels emphasize the vineyard names and feature a painting of a single
vine.

Vins de Temps:
The estate’s vendanges
tardives and sélections de grains
nobles are named for both meanings of the French word temps: the weather, which can make or break a vintage, and time,
which is necessary to over-ripening for the late harvest wines and for the
development of noble rot. The minimalist labels used here allow the wines’
brilliant colors to stand in the spotlight. The vins de temps reach their peak after 20-50 years of cellaring.

Pinot Noir:
The Pinot Noir grapes are 100% de-stemmed for both cuvées. Fermentation lasts about ten days with a daily pumpovers. The Pinot Noir “E“ ages in stainless steel tanks for 9 months and the Pinot Noir “Fronholz” ages in old barrels for a year.

The Fronholz Vineyard:
Located on the top and the southwest slopes of the hill
of Epfig, the Fronholz vineyard gives wines with marked minerality, firm
acidity, and elegant aromas that can be rather discreet in their youth. The
estate’s four hectares are divided among Riesling (1 ha), Muscat (0.3 ha),
Pinot Noir (0.3 ha), Pinot Gris (0.75 ha), Gewurztraminer (1.3 ha), and
Sylvaner (0.35 ha).

The Heissenberg Vineyard:
Domaine Ostertag owns 0.75 hectares of vineyards in the
Heissenberg or “Hot Mountain” vineyard in Nothalten. With a soil of pink sandstone of the Vosges and gneiss, this
south-facing slope is planted exclusively to Riesling and gives fleshy, mineral
wines with generous, exotic aromas.

The Zellberg Vineyard:
The southeast facing Zellberg vineyard is located on the
mid-slopes in the village of Nothalten on a soil of clay, limestone, and the
pink sandstone of the Vosges that gives fat, sensual wines with delicate
aromas. The estate’s 0.45 hectares are planted to Pinot Gris.

Clos Mathis:
The Clos is located near Ribeauville at the foot of the trios châteaux and next to the grand cru Kirchberg. It is a terraced hillside of granite with south-east exposure.

The Muenchberg Vineyard:
From
the Alsatian “muench” meaning monk, this vineyard is named for the Cistercian
monks who originally planted vines here in the 11th-12th
centuries. In a south-facing amphitheater in Nothalten at the foot of the
Vosges mountains, the Muenchberg site combines volcanic sediment and the pink
sandstone of the Vosges with a touch of limestone. The vineyard offers definition, elegance, and great length
and class to the Riesling (1.65 ha) and Pinot Gris (0.40 ha, aka A360P) planted
here.

MISCELLANEA

The Ostertag Family:The name Ostertag means
“Easter day,” and the family coat of arms shows the Easter lamb carrying a
battle flag. This image was the
inspiration for the estate’s logo of a sheep.

The Labels:
The images on the vins de fruit and vins de pierre labels are by André’s wife, Christine
Colin-Ostertag.